The universal flat-glass kit...
The universal flat-glass kit from AutoLoc can be made to work on any car or truck with flat side glass.
It includes a pair of reinforced...
It includes a pair of reinforced guide tracks with an adjustable base and Bosch motors as shown here. This rail can be cut and shortened if necessary on cars with smaller doors.
The bottom channel must be...
The bottom channel must be removed from the original window glass. Allen at Hot-Wire used a screwdriver to carefully separate the press-fit piece from the glass and recommends using alcohol or Simple Green to soften up the adhesive. Any residual rubber and glue can be removed by hand. The bottom bracket can be discarded.
If youre lucky, you...
If youre lucky, you can avoid having to remove the glass and framework. In this case, the window glass was held in place with Vise-Grips while the AutoLoc kit was installed. A C-clamp would be a better choice with less chance of breaking the glass.
The AutoLoc rails are installed...
The AutoLoc rails are installed so that they are on the inside of the door relative to the glass (closer to the passenger compartment). On many vehicles, including this F-100, the glass is not perfectly vertical. Make sure the rail is installed at the exact same angle as the glass, using the side channels for reference.
The bolts provided with the...
The bolts provided with the kit werent long enough to attach the rails to the door of the F-100. Allen substitued a pair of longer bolts, using three nuts as spacers.
To maintain the correct angle...
To maintain the correct angle for the glass, Allen fabricated a mount from some inexpensive L-brackets from the hardware store, which he bolted to the inside of the door.
Clamping the glass into place...
Clamping the glass into place is easy. There are five nuts holding the mounting plate. To install the glass, loosen the outer two fasteners as far as you can. Loosen the inner two bolts and the center Allen bolt slightly.
Once the glass is installed...
Once the glass is installed the bolts are retightened. Allen raised and lowered the window to allow the glass to settle into the proper position on the rail before tightening the bolts.
4 5 6 7 8 Allen built...
4 5 6 7 8 Allen built this second bracket to hold the motor stable inside the door, being careful not to bend the metal tubing housing the worm drive.
Color-coded wires make wiring...
Color-coded wires make wiring simple. Allen ran the wires through the doorjambs, and the switches were mounted in the sheetmetal at the top of the door. AutoLoc also makes a kit so the original door handles can be converted to switches that activate the power windows.
You pull up to the traffic light in your hot rod. The supermodel in the Porsche Boxster on your right is trying to give you her phone number. You lean over to crank down the passenger-side window, but before you can get it rolled down the light turns green and shes gone. Dont you hate that?
Dont let it happen again. Equip your rod with a power windows kit like this one from AutoLoc. We watched while Bryan Allen at Hot-Wire installed the kit in Mike Jacalones in-progress 56 Ford F-100. This is a universal kit for all flat-windowed cars, which usually means a little custom fabrication is required, but the job can be done in a weekend with regular handtools. The basic flat-window kit is about $210 online, or between $269-$325 if you order it with one of AutoLocs 14 different styles of switches (sold in pairs). There are 20 different plastic switch cases offered, all under $20 each. You can also choose from upgrades such as remote window kits and express up/down features.